Thermo-annunciator.



No. 659,002. A Patented 00L 2, |900. J. C. J. STEPHAN.

THERMO' ANNUNCIATDR.

(Application led Apr. 7, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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NITED v STATES PATENT EFICE.

JOHN o. J. STEPHAN, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

THERMo-AN'NUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,002, dated October2, 1900.

Application filed April 7, 1900. Serial To a/ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. J. STEPHAN, a citizen of the United States,and aresident of the city of New York, borough of Queens, county ofQueens, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Thermo Annunciators, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to devices for announcing by sound a variation intemperature at a certain place above or below a predetermined point-as,'for example, announcing the breaking out of a tire in a room or stableor the like.

Twov forms of the annunciating apparatus are herein shown, one adaptedfor sounding an annunciator situated at some distance from the point orplace where the temperature rises and the other adapted as a portabledevice or apparatus combining the thermostat, the reg-l ulator. and thesounder, all in one casing.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure lis-a plan of the thermostatic part of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is aplan of the annunciator and regulator thereof. These views are on arelativelysmall scale. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe thermostaticpart of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the'same.Fig. 5 is an under side view, and Fig. 6 a side elevation, of theannunciator. Fig. '7 is a view'of the regulator-plate detached. Fig. 8is a vi'ew of the-thermostat in its simplest form, and Fig. 9illustrates a compoundl form of same.

Referring primarily to Figs. l to 7, A represents as a whole thethermostatic device, B the regulator as a whole, and C the sounder orannunciatin'g device. The device A'will be placed at the point whereonewishes to note any rise, for example, of the temperature above acertain point, as in a coal-b unker on shipboard or in a barn orbuilding 'separated from a house or ofce. When the temperature risesabove the point` or-degree set and indicated at the'regulator B, thesounding device C will be set off and announce it. The regulator andsounder may be together and may be placed in the office, for example,Where they will be under constant attention or notice. The thermostaticdevice A'Will first be described.

On any suitableV base lis mounted a guide 11,940. (No man.)

2, in which slides a toothed rack 3, connected to an extension-spring 4,which may be conveniently inclosed in a tubular casing 5. The rack 3 isinclined on its toothed upper edge, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and onthe base 1 by its side is mounted aspring-pawl 6, which `may engage anddoes normally engage a tooth of said rack. When the rack is drawn ,outtoward the left in Fig. 1 under the pawl 6, the latter will engage withthe rack and hold it'against the tendency of the spring 4 to draw itback. On the base is mounted a thermostat 7 which when expanded by theheat or rise in temperature, takes under the fpawl 6, raises it freefrom the rack 3, and allows the spring to draw the latter back forcilolyalong its guide. some peculiarities, which will be described. Itconsists in its primary form of a strip or The thermostat 7 has plate ofsteel and a strip or plate of zinc soldered together face to face andhaving a U form. In Fig. 8, which shows the thermostatY detached, srepresents the exteriorly-situated steel strip and z theinteriorly-situated zinc strip. As zinc expands to a greater extentunder a, given temperature than steel, the ef- `fect of a rise intemperature is to expand the branches of the U orcause them to separate,while .a fall in temperature brings them closer together. -By connectingtwo or more of these U -shaped'pieces or elements together at theirbranched ends the combined expan- .sion ofthe whole may be utilized.T-wo of such elements are shown in Fig. 3.

The rack 3 is connected by a wire 8 with the regulator B either directlyor through one or more bell-cranks 9, and the regulator' may be at anydesired distance from the thermostatic device A; This regulator B may I`be constructed in various ways; but as herein shown it consists ofarotatable disk v10, having in it two crank-pins, 1l and 12. Attached tothe wire 8 is a graduated -strip 13, perfo- :rated Aat the graduations,any one of which may be made to engage the pin 11 by draw-r ,ing out theinclined rack 3. `rack is drawn out'the higher will the pawl' be raisedabove the thermostat 7 and the higher the temperature at the thermostatwill The farthertheI s have to rise before the latter will expandsuficiently to disengage the pawl. The graduations on the strip 13 mayindicate degrees of temperature at which the thermostat will act todisengage the pawl. The other pin 12 in the disk 10 is connected by awire 14 or the like with the sounder C for setting 0K the latter. Thissounder comprises as its essentials a clock-spring 15, adapted to bewound by a key 16 and connected by a suitable train of gears with anescapement-wheel 17. With the teeth of this wheel engage the pallets ofan ordinary escapement 18, which has an arm 19, adapted to be engaged,Fig. 5, by a spring hook-arm 20 on a rocker-arm 21, backed by a spring22. The hook-arm 2O by engaging the escapement-arm 19 holds the sounderagainst movement, and the hookarm is held normally in engagement withthe arm 19 by a spring-detent 23, which takes under the end of therocker-arm 21. The wire 14 is connected to the detent 23, and when thepawl 6 frees the ratchet 3 the spring 4, acting through the wires orconnectors 8 and 14, draws back the detent 23 and permits the arm 21 lorock and free the hook.- arm 2O from the escapement-arm, thus settingOtf the sounder.

In setting the apparatus for operation the user may draw on the wire orconnector 8 through the medium of the perforated plate or strip 13 untilthe properly-numbered aperture therein will take over the pin 11, theteeth in the ratchet 3 corresponding in spacing with the spacing of thesaid perforations. He then winds up the annunciator or sounder C bymeans of the key 21. In doing this a beveled stud 24 on the windingarbor25 wipes over a spring-arm 26 on a rocker 27, which takesl under therocker-arm 21 and presses it back or outward, so that the springdetent23 may move in under its end and support it. The power of the spring 15,acting on the wheel 17, forces the escapementarm 19 into engagement withthe spring hookarm 20, and thus holds the sounder until set 0E asdescribed.

In case the user desires to set the regulator at a lower degree than itis already set, means are provided for letting back the rack 3 to itsfull extent, so that it may be drawn out to just the desired extent. Toeffect this, an inclined cam-slide 28, Figs. 3 and 4, is mountedslidably at the side of the rack 3 and preferably between the`thermostat7 and said rack. This cam-slide has on its face next to the rack a lug29, (seen in dotted lines in Fig. 4,) which is adapted to be impingedupon by lugs 30 and 3l on the rack as the latter moves to and fro. Whenthe rack 3 is drawn out to its full extent, as in Fig. 4, the lug 30drives the camslide forward under the spring-pawl 6, thus elevating itabove the highest point of the rack, and when the spring 4 is allowed toretract the rack quickly the cam-slide will uphold the pawl until thelug 31 impinges on the lug 29 on the slide and moves the latter back tothe position seen in Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 shows a compound form of the thermostatic device, which might beemployed in lieu of that shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4; but in this casethe regulator would be situated adjacent to the thermostatic device. Inthe con- .struction of Fig. 9, 7 represents a plurality of U-shapedthermostats like that seen in Fig. 8, but connected together, so thatthe expansion of the whole set is a multiple of the expansion ofeachthat is to say, the several thermostats are arranged abreast withtheir prongs presented in one direction and the prong of one secured atits extremity to the prong of that next adjacent. The device is fixed atone end to a base at 43, and at the other end a `wire or rod 44 isthreaded loosely through its branch 7c. At the left the wire 44 issupposed to he connected to the detent 23 of the sounder, and beyondwhere it passes through the branch 7c at the right in Fig. 9 there is abutton or collar 45 on the rod, which may be set at any desired distancefrom the said branch. 46 is an extension-spring to retract the rod 44.The collar 45 is adjusted and fixed on the rod so that a certain degreeof expansion of the com pound thermostat will impinge upon it, draw therod, and thus draw back the detent 23 and set off the sounder.

Obviously some changes in the construction of the apparatus may be madewithout departing materially from my invention. I do not claim aspring-actuated sounderper se, nor is my invention restricted to theparticular sounder here shown. The regulator illustrated in Figs. 2 and7is simple in form; but obviously other simple constructions may beemployed as well. The object is to provide a take-up for the connector 8Which is measurable in extent, and this may bedone by any simple means.

In case the device AA be set to operate, say, at 100 Fahrenheit and hein a coal-bunker of a vessel, for example, and the oiticer hears thesounder he may by means of the regulator set the device A to sound at110 and await a confirmation of the alarm. If the sounder is seto at110, he may feel assured that there is overheating and attend to thematterat once. The portable device may be set to sound at; say, 75 inany room and it will at once notify the user when the temperaturereaches that point.

The apparatus is wholly mechanical,no electric circuit being employed,and the danger from broken circuits,weakened batteries, bad contacts,&c., thus avoided.

Obviously the sounder of Figs. 2, 5, and 6 may be inclosed in apractically dust-proof case, if desired, as an aperture for the entry ofthe connector 14 is all that is needed, and the connector may lit suchaperture very snugly.

It may be Well to say here that while I prefer to solder together thesteel and zinc elements, both being of metal, and to put the zincelement inside, so that the branches will expand, nevertheless I do notlimit myself to these features. The zinc and steel elements may besecured together by other means than IIO stecca solder, and good resultsmay be produced by' putting the element which has the highestcoeflicient of expansion outside, so that the branches will movetogether under the influence of heat. The U-shaped form of thermostatshown is not in itself novel; but the manner of connecting them togetherVas illustrated is new, so far as lI am aware.

Having thus described my invention, I claim y 1. In athermo-annunciator, the combination with an annunciatoror sounderadapted to be set off by the movement of a detent, and the said detent,of a thermostatic device comprising a rack connected with and adaptedwhen freed to operate said detent, a pawl to engage and hold said rack,and a thermostat adapted to actuate said pawl and free the rack when thetemperature at the thermostat reaches a predetermined point..

2. In a thermo-annunciator, the combination with an annunciator orsounder adapted to be set off by the movement of a detentthe saiddetent, and a thermosatatic device comprising a rack connected with andadapted, when freed, to operate said detent, a pawl to engage and holdsaid rack, and a thermostat adapted to actuate said pawl and free therack when the temperature at the thermostat reaches a predeterminedpoint, and means for setting and holding said pawl at a predetermineddistance from the thermostat,.nor mally, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

3. In a thermo-annunciator, the combination with the sounder, the detentfor setting the sounder in operation, the connector, and a regulator forvarying the length of the connector, of a thermostatic apparatuscomprising the slidable, tapered or inclined rack 3,

its retracting-spring, a spring-pawl 6, to enl gage said rack, and athermostat adapted to disengage said pawl from the rack, substantiallyas set forth.

4. The combination of the guide 2, the inclined rack 3, mounted slidablyin said guide, the spring '4, for retracting the rack, the spring-pawl6, engaging the teeth of the rack, and t-he thermostat 7, at the side ofthe rack and taking under said pawl, whereby eXpansion of saidthermostat lifts said pawl from engagement with therackteeth,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the sounder, having an operating-spring andescapement device, a rocker-arm 21, means between said arm and theescapement device for locking the latter through said arm, and a detent23 for holding said arm, of means for setting the arm 21 in Winding,comprising the stud 24, and the rocker 27 which acts on the arm 21, saidrocker having a spring-arm 26, substantially as set forth.

6. In a thermo-annunciator, the combination with an annunciator, of athermostatic device for setting the latter, said device comprising amovable rack, a pawl to hold said rack against movement, and athermostat adapted to actuate said pawl to free the rack when thetemperature at the thermostat reaches a predetermined point, andoperative means between said rack and annunoiator whereby the latter isset in operation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 4th day ofApril, 1900, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOI-1N C. J. STEPHAN.

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, .PETER A. Ross.

